Switch-lock



(No Model.)

I). LAVERY. SWITCH LOOK.

No. 522,219. Patented July 3,1894.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIC DAVID LAVERY, or K'ANKAKEE, ILLINOIS.

SWITCH-LOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 522,219, dated July 3,1894.

Applicationfiledlebruary17,189fl. SerialNo.500,449. (NomodelJ To allwhom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DAVID LAVERY, of Kankakee, in the county'of Kankakeeand State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvementsin Switch-Locks; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full,clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, and;

to the letters of reference marked thereon,-

which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in automatic or spring locks forrailroad switch stands, and it consists in the matters hereinlock. Fig.6 is a plan View of this form of switch stand. I;

The form of stand illustratedin Figs 1, 2

' and 3 is of an ordinary type comprising an after set forth and pointedout in the apoperating lever A 'pivotally secured-to asuit tion. Saidlever isoperatively connected with" the movable railsof the switch inany suitable manner, being herein shown rigidly at tached to'its pivot Dwhich is movably journaled in the standard B, and which may be providedwith a crank 01' other suitable de-- vice (not shown) by which theswitch is operated as the lever 'is moved. At its outer end the lever Anormally passes between two guide standards E and F arranged on oppositesides of the lever,serving to protect the same from lateraldisplacement. One of said standardsfln this instance the standard E, isdesigned to be engaged by a lock-G provided on the lever A adjacent tosaid standard E. The belt mechanism within the casing G of the lock is'of any ordinary self-acting or springactuated type, comprising inthisinstance a reciprocating bolt g suitably formed at its rearend g tobe engaged and withdrawn by a key H, and normally maintained in itsprotracted position by a coil spring 9 inserted in a recess g in thebolt and resting at its rear end against a lug G? projecting from thewall of the casing. of the bolt g'is shown'beveled off in the usualmanner in order that it may be automatically thrust inward by engagingthe rounded upper end of the standard E as the lever is dropped, andsaid standardis provided with a suitable notch einto which the boltslips asthe lever A reaches its lowermost or horizontal position.

In' order to prevent, as far as possible, any unauthorized person fromtampering with the lock, the casing is'extended at its front end to'forman integral hood G which entirely 1 covers the upper end of the standardE and The outer end the outer end of vthelbolt gwhen the lever islocked. in place, it being evident that by this construct-ion it isimpossible to insert anyinstrument betweenthe standard and the end ofthe boltvto retract thelatter, unless said instrument beintroduccd fromthe'under side where the space is. so limited as to render'the operationawkward anddifficult. Said hood, I

readily adjusted to the. switchstands at pres-- ent in use, such forexample as that herein illustrated. Inasmuch, therefore, as the standardE of such stands normally closely engages the side of the lever. A, Ihave herein shown the-inner side G of the, lock casing cut awayat thatportionwithin the hood G and have made the inner side G5 of the dome ofsaid hood to project over the edge of the top of the lever A, as shownin Fig. 3. Alock casing of great strength is, however provided by eX-tending inward the top G of the casing to forma flange G which restsupon the top of the-lever and is secured thereto by suitable screws a,"said flange G extendingthe entire length of the lock casing and beingintegrally connected at its extreme front end with a vertical flange G?engaging the side of the lever ;A. A similar flange G isherein shownprovided at the rear of the lock casing, said flangesG and G beingsecured to the lever ICO by screws 0.. Alock constructed in this mannormay obviously be readily applied to any old switch stand of the generalpattern shown by simply tapping the necessary screw holes in theoperating lever A, and filing or otherwise cutting out a suitable notche in the standard E to be engaged by the point of the lock bolt. Whenprovided with a lock of this description, the switch obviously cannot beoperated except by one provided with a proper key, while at the sametime the lever will be automatically locked without the use of the keyas soon as it is dropped back in its normal horizontal position.

In Figs. 4, 5 and 6, I have shown my improved lock as applied to awellknown form of switch stand of the vertical type. In said figures, Idesignate the supporting column within which a vertical operating shaftJ is journaled, said shaft being suitably connected at its lower endwith a rod or shaft J by means of which the switch is actuated as theshaft J is turned. K designates a sleeve rigidly secured to the shaft Jimmediately above the standard I and provided with outwardly projectingparallel arms it between which an operating lever L is pivoted, thepivot K thereof being herein shown arranged slightly below the upper endL of said lever, so that when the lever is swung up into a horizontalposition said upper end L passes between the parallel arms 70 andrelieves the pivot of a' large part of the strain. The upper end of thestandard I is herein shown enlarged to forma generally circular plate Iwhich is provided at suitable intervals with notches '11 into which thelever L is adapted to drop. Directly beneath said notches i are providedradially extending rigid arms 1 reduced at their outer ends to formtongues t" which are adapted to project through a suitable aperture inthe lever L. Upon the outer face of the lever L is provided a springlock M of a similar type to the lock G hereinbefore described and theeasing of which is provided at one end with a hood M adapted to receiveand conceal the end of that tongue 11' with which the lever is engaged,thereby preventing the insertion of an instrument between the tongue andbolt to retract the latter, and at the same time protecting the partsfrom the weather. The lock casing M is herein shown as secured to theface of the lever by flanges m and suitable screws Z passing throughsaid flanges into said lever. With this construction, as with theconstruction previously described as applied to the horizontal type ofswitch stand, my lock may be readily attached to the stand alreadyconstructed by simply tapping the operating lever to receive the screws1 and forming in the upper edge of the tongues z" a suitable notch '5for receiving the bolt of the look. When supplied with a lock of thischaracter the stand will obviously operate in all respects as before,except that when once locked it can only be unlocked by one possessingthe proper key; the lock being at the same time self-acting so as tosecurely fasten the lever when it is again dropped to engage either ofthe tongues 13'.

I claim as my invention-- A switch stand provided with a standard havingan operating lever pivoted thereto, guide standards engaging the sidesof the lever, a lock provided on the said lever adjacent to one of saidguide standards and the bolt of which is adapted to engage a notch onsaid standard, flanges at the end of the lock casing, and afiangeforming ac'ontinuation of the top of the lock casing and adapted toengage the top of the lever, the inner side of the lock casing being cutaway within the hood to permit the inclosed standard to di rectly engagethe face of the lever, substantially as described. i

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I alfix mysignature in presence of two witnesses.

1 DAVID LAVERY.

Witnesses:

J. P. OLEARY, HARRY SYLVESTER.

